SBIR Phase I: Autonomous 3D Printer/Former for On-Site, Affordable Construction

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to make possible small-scale, high-quality automated construction. This proposal investigates a method to automate the concrete forming process from design to construction, including site assessment, design, and material construction. This platform can provide fast on-site construction, reduce renovation timelines, and provide habitat affordability. This project advances translation of an automated concrete forming process, including concrete material formulations, robotic path planning/ machine vision for construction sites, and end-effector electromechanical designs. Other processes to be engineered include 3D mapping of existing site conditions, associated design processes, robotic path planning and material scheduling, and project execution. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.